Southwest People/Places.

Celebrating Life Down On The Farm

September 22, 1996|By Kathleen Knowles-Wantuch. Special to the Tribune.

The Cavalcade of Power and Iron recently rumbled through Peotone.

No, it wasn't the Marines with a full tank unit but the first Historical Ag Expo parade, showcasing about 100 antique tractors and other pieces of farm equipment.

Leading off the Peotone Country Festival's parade was the high-stepping Blue Devil Peotone High School marching band. Peotone's own antique fire equipment was a hit with the crowds enjoying the hazy summer afternoon along the parade route.

The event also included an old hay wagon with antique farm equipment, milk separators and plows pulled by a 1945 Farm Hall tractor from Peotone's Andres and Wilton Grain Co.

Johns said he loves living in the country with his family. "The boys know tractors and have been on them with my dad. Next year, I'm going to try and do some planting. This year, however, was not a good year to begin (farming) since so many farmers took a real beating with so much rain early in the season and not enough later on. Yet," Johns said with a sigh, "there's nothing like being in the country."

The three-day country celebration, sponsored by the Peotone Chamber of Commerce, included a variety of local and professional entertainment, a 5-K run, horse-drawn hayrides, various arts and crafts booths, square dancing, country singers and bands and a kiddie tractor pull.

Virginia Seeger of Three Oaks, Mich., displayed a variety of "new" antique jewelry she created for the event. "I had never heard about this town until they kept talking about the Peotone airport in the news," she said. "This town is really quaint. I wouldn't mind buying one of these old buildings and restoring it for myself. The people are so friendly here. It's the kind of place you'd like to settle down and live in."

According to Mayor Richard Benson, the purpose of the festival was to celebrate the significance of Peotone's rich farming heritage and to promote community spirit. Farmers and visitors swapped tales about the old days while checking motors on vehicles such as a 1938 John Deere.

Rex Meyers from Wilton Township showcased his yellow 1937 Minneapolis Moline Z-Gas that took four years to restore. "This tractor was sold brand new in 1936 at the Sandwich fair. According to the collectors' club, there isn't another one older than this one around. It has a unique engine with horizontal valves, smoke stack and a crank in the front. It originally had steel wheels, but after World War II, when rubber was finally available, these tires were added," Meyers said.

"The problem with this hobby, it's a poor man's sport. You can buy a tractor for $300 but you're lucky to sell it for $1,300, unlike restoring a car where the value quadruples in price and you can sell it for thousands of dollars," he added.

Frank and Mary Cioffi of Crete brought their 5-year-old nephew, Brandon, to the event from South Chicago Heights. "This is such a friendly town....We began talking to several farmers and enjoyed hearing their tales about the restoration of these old tractors," Frank Cioffi said.

Brandon summed up the day's activities: "We came to see the tractors and go on a horse ride. This place is fun."